Enjoy author Tatjana Soli's guest column today and enjoy one her favorite recipes. You can drop her a note at: tatjanasoli@gmail.com

Take it away Tatjana...

Thanks for having me, Suzanne. Browsing through recent guest blogs, I was struck by what an intimate place of like-minded souls a blog can be. It's kind of like the old neighborhood gathering place. Remember the days when a neighbor moved next door, and everyone brought over something to eat? I love that sense of community whether it's sharing food or books.

In most of my work, both the novels and short stories, there is an inordinate amount of food, and readers have accused me of making them hungry while reading! I plead guilty. I'm definitely a foodie, but I also like what a wonderful bridge it is between characters. All celebrations must have food, but a gathering of burgers and beer is a different event than one of champagne and those fancy canapes one can't guess the ingredients of. Another wonderful use of food is introducing characters to a new culture. I had a wonderful gastronomic time exploring Vietnamese cuisine for my first book. I also ate more spring rolls at book clubs than you would think possible. The exotic food exploration for my second novel was Caribbean cuisine. Most of us have the problem of too much food being available. I found it very interesting in both books to explore its lack. An early reader said that one of the most harrowing scenes in THE FORGETTING TREE is when one character withholds food from the other--an inconceivable cruelty. The meaning of hunger is something most of us thankfully have not experienced.

My mom made me my first apple fritters when I was a little girl , and ever since then I have been a baker. When I'm home working on a new book, there is nothing I like better after writing than baking. First of all, it requires movement (I'm starting to understand why Hemingway composed standing up). There is also the tactile joy of all the ingredients. Baking, like writing, is both precision (following a recipe) and experimentation (guessing what you can get away with). Although the end product of a good day of writing might please the writer, imagine baking a perfect cookie, nodding in satisfaction, and then putting it away in the cupboard!

Unsatisfying. Baking on the other hand can be not only delicious but also provide immediate gratification. It's wonderful to gobble down that first bite, but even better to share with family and friends. A book, too, after many months or years of work, goes out into the world to be enjoyed. Sharing it spreads that enjoyment. If we were together in person, I would have brought a plate of my favorite lemon squares and we'd eat and talk books. Since this is virtual, though, I can at least share a recipe. I have posted the recipe on my Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/TatjanaSoliAuthor I hope you enjoy.

Tatjana lives with her husband in Southern California. Her New York Times bestselling debut novel, THE LOTUS EATERS, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a New York Times Notable Book, and won the 2011 James Tait Black Prize. Send her an email at: tatjanasoli@gmail.com

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Julia is married to a renowned psychiatrist, deeply loves her stepson and is forging a career as a journalist. When a writing job exposes Julia to phone sex, she glimpses a world that stirs her fantasies but threatens her carefully constructed life.